Recently, I have noticed a resurgence in new mothers frightened of “spoiling” their children, in particular their infants by holding their child too often in a baby sling carrier. This isn’t anything new. In the early 20th century, the majority of infant care experts discouraged parents from excessively holding their children, warning that by doing so, they would not prepare their children for the harsh and cruel world that awaited them.
However, in 1946 Dr. Benjamin Spock released the book “The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care.” Dr. Spock was one of the first proponents of mothers caring for their babies by using their own judgment to determine what was best for their little one.
Today there are still numerous people who caution new parents that excessively holding their baby will over indulge the child. These people are known as “regulators.” Regulators believe that the child needs a disciplined routine to develop. Another group of people are referred to as “facilitators”. The facilitating parent acts reactively to the child’s physical or emotional signs of distress.
In 2001, A. Scher from the University of Haifa, Israel, conducted a study to determine which method of parenting resulted in a stronger bond between the mother and child. Overwhelmingly, infants whose parents used a facilitating approach to parenting exemplified more “attachment” to their mothers than babies whose parents used a more regulating approach.
So what does this mean for a new mom or dad? It merely means that holding your infant and appropriately caring for your baby when they begin to show signs of distress, will result in a stronger relationship of trust and security with your baby. Building this sense of trust with your baby will actually foster your baby’s confidence to investigate new environments and interact with others. So relax, and worry more about what your little one needs and less about the way your peers and associates say.
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Kevin Wilson
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